Automatic sprinkler system.



y `Coinnionwea'ltli o ,iwblassaeliusettd have ii f vented a new and usefullliriprovement in Aw` l tometie Sprinkler Systems, ofwliieh the folu lowing is a speeiiieatidin aeeomliaiiied by vdrawings.forming a part of the saine, in

ANT lidlFl'Q@ l 'GEORGE 1. ROCKWOOD, QF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

i i' l Uren/:Arlo SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

No.` 894,907.4.l y Y Speeicatonl i To all whorrijit hat i, Geenen a7 citizen "of tlieUiiited"States, residing Worcester, inthe county ofVVoifcester an' "l, represents iny iiiipi'oyed sprin- Figure y 'klei' systeinin elevation. Fig. 2 is a central to similar Iparts in the ldifferent views.

vertical sectional view of' af diy pipe `valve embodied in seid-system.v

Similar refereneeletters and figures rel'er `The' objects ofi'ny present invention are tov .provide nieans loreontrolling. the writer suply toa Seriesot what are knowneas open "20 sprinklerheads,l or spr'ii'ikler 'headsl communicating by, a permanently open passage wi th the Water-'supply pipe, and it,coiisist`sin ther construction and arrangement oi'v parts os A"ln-ir'einafterdescribed and pointed Olli-lll lll 255 annexed claims'.

`Referringto the acconnienyiiig drawings W-liieli illustrate theapplication ol" my i n ven- 4tien to a sprinkler system located iii an elec- Itric ear-barn or shed,l l denotes a water supply pipe lending toa source of water supply under pressure-- 2 denotes the "casing of a dry pipe valve, and 3 a pipe leading from the casing ol" the dry pipe valve to a sprinkler supply pipe Il,

upon which are mountedoiie or more closed sprinklers of any approved type, eapalile ol'l being released b the `action of a predeter mined degreeo heat. Normally the pas-` sages in the sprinkler 5 are closed to the pas- 40 sage of Water and thel system, comprising the pipes 3 and 4 end sprinklers 5, is closedffind normell filled with air under pressure,`sulli cient to old the dry pipevalve closed against .the pressure 'of'water in the supply pipe l.

' In Fig. 2 I have shown a central sectional View of a dry pipe valve inelesed in the cese 2, 'and consisting of a. valve ple-te (3 connected 'Y with a rocking arnnpivoted at 7 and seated` upon annular valve seats 8 and 9, thev valve l5@ seltg being of much smaller diameter than 1 .the seat 8 and closing tliewater vpassage` through the'pipe 1 While the valve seat 8 'rel ceives the pressure oftliecoinpressed air lilling the dry pipe valve ease and pipes' and 4,

, 'tl1e 'difference in the areasinelosed by the valve seats 8 and gambling a given water .pipe i liy the valve seat l).

Application filed February@ 1908. Serial No. allemal..

pressure in the pipe l to be resisted bye. smaller air pressure in the sprinkler system.

The above described arrangement of a Warter supply pipe, closed sprinkler system and dry pipe valve is substantially like that now 'in use. with automatic sprinkler heads, Adapted'to be released by the action of heat, and vuntil so released serve to iiieintain a e0nstaiit air `pressure upon the dry pipe valve to hold-it in contact vvitli the seats 8 and El.

Between the valve .seats 8 and il is an inv closed annular space l() eut oli from the pressure ol" compressed air in the dry pipe valve casing, when the valve is closed, by the 1valve seat is' and else from the water pressure in the 'ilie diiniilar space l() will, therefore, lie i'illed with air at atmospheric. pressure. lloinmunicating with the air space ll() is a pipe l1 leading to a sprinklersupplypipe12,u )on which is mounted a 'series lof open spi-iii der heads 115, of any known or approved type. ln Fig. l the pipe l2 is plared horizontally by the side of a ear i4, while the supply pipe 4 is preferably placed in an elevated pesition above the ear. ll' either one ol the sprinkler heads 5 lie released by the action el' l lient, tlie oomM pressed air iield in the pipes il and 4 will lie allowed lo escape, and' the pressure oll wnter in the pipe l will iinn'ied'iaitely raise the valve plate (l l'rom its seats t5 and l), and not only admit wiiter to the pipes Il and Il, lint also iill in the annular splice 1'() and the pipes il and i2 with water under pressure, wliieliis di rooted iii sprays against the sides oi the oar 14 by theI open s|iriiikler'lreads i3. The open sprinkler heads iii may lie placed in positions where their use will he iiiostell'cetive, While the elosed sprinkler head on the pi ie 4 nifty he placed in a position where heat will beinost ell'eetive in releasing it.

)ipe valve through the pipe 1'1 will also lie lirouglit into service by the release ol" any single sprinkler head on the pipe 1l, which opens .the passage sullicieiit to release the pressure upon'tlie valvephite (i and allow the pressure oi water in the pipe l to raise the valve plate l'rom itsl seats. Unless the heat is sullieiently dill'used to release a large nuinber el the elosed sprinkler heads en the pipe 4', the amount ol water distributed by' the pipe 4l will lie restricted to the one er niore sprinkler heads which have 4been released by heat, while the larger body of Water will ,be delivered through the open sprinkler heads rllie entire system' ol' open sprinklers connect-ed with the dryl 1 3 and directly upon the conflagration occurring in the car 14. If desired, the number of sprinkler heads u on the pipe 4 may be limited to such num er and in such positions as will be suflicient to control the How of Water through the open sprinklers, thereby reducing the liability of damage from Water'by over flooding, While the water delivered throu h the open sprinklers may be applied heads, such devices are now in common usel and will be well understood by those conversant with the art of automatic sprinkling. By in improved system employing open sprink er heads for the distribution of Water,

and closed sprinkler heads primarily for controll-in the oWof Water to the open sprinklers, reduce the amount of piping and fittinvs inclosing the body of compressed air, andD thereby reduce the iability of leakage of the compressed air and at the same time reducing the volume of compressed air necessary to hold the dry pipe valve closed,

I claim, v

In a sprinkler system, with a water ipe communicating with a source of sup y under pressure, a supply pipe leading tierefrom to a series of closed sprinkler heads, a second supply pipe leading therefrom to a series of open sprinkler heads, a valve for closing the water from both of 'said supply'pipes, and means controlled by said closed sprinkler heads formaintainin an a'ir pressure on said valve to hold it close( 2. In a sprinkler system, com rising a series of open sprinkler heads, an a series of closed sprinkler heads adapted to be opened the combination by the action of heat, a water supply pipe having a valve closed communication with both of said series of sprinkler heads, and means for holding said valve in a closed osition, and means for releasing said va ve controlled by the action of heat upon said closed sprinkler heads.

i 3. In asprinkler system, the combination of 'a series of open sprinkler heads and aseries of closed sprinklerheads at a higher level than said open'sprinkler heads, supply pipes for both seriesof sprinkler heads communieating with a common supply pipe, a valve for closing said common supply pipe, means for holding said valve in a closed position,

and means for releasing said valve by the action of heat on said closed sprinkler heads.

4. In a sprinkler system, the combination with a water ipe communicating with a source of supp y under pressure, of a pipe leading therefrom to a closed sprinkler head, a second pipe leading therefrom to an open sprinkler head, und means for closing.,r both of said supply pipes, said means arranged to be -o )cned by the action of heat on said sprinkler hear 5.I In a sprinkler system, the combination with a pi )e filled with water under pressure, of a su )ply'pipe leading therefrom to a closed sprinkler head filled with air under pressure, a second su )ply pipe leading therefrom to an open sprin t er head, a valve arranged to `close both'of said supply pipes, and means operated by the action of heat. upon said closed sprinkler head for openinpr said valve.,

GEORGE l. ROOK W( )01).

Kurtis B. Fowman. 

